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Owen Bush
Industry Professional



Location: london
Joined: 31 Aug 2007

Posts: 221

PostPosted: Tue 03 Feb, 2009 11:58 am    Post subject: Viking spears         Reply with quote

Dear all,
I am looking for some information on the dimensions of Viking spear Heads ,particularly the Pattern-welded spear head in the back of the book Swords of the Viking age .If any body could recommend a good book or any particularly good pattern-welded spear heads in British Museums. I would be most grateful for any pointers .
I want to Make some Replicas and am looking for original dimensions (ideally including weights)
also whilst we are at it, are there any existing spears from Viking graves with shafts intact ?
All the best Owen

forging soul into steel .

www.owenbush.co.uk the home of bushfire forge school of smithing .
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Douglas S





Joined: 18 Feb 2004

Posts: 177

PostPosted: Tue 03 Feb, 2009 2:25 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Try this:
http://forum.blankvaapen.org/showthread.php?t=744
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Owen Bush
Industry Professional



Location: london
Joined: 31 Aug 2007

Posts: 221

PostPosted: Wed 04 Feb, 2009 12:28 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks those are great links ,I am still looking for some dimmentions though .
forging soul into steel .

www.owenbush.co.uk the home of bushfire forge school of smithing .
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D. Bell




Location: New Zealand
Joined: 01 May 2004

Posts: 73

PostPosted: Fri 06 Feb, 2009 6:52 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

If you can, find a copy of M. J. Swanton's The Spearheads of the Anglo-Saxon Settlements. This book has numerous drawings to scale of Anglo-Saxon spearheads, although if I recall correctly it might focus on pre viking age England. You can also download a copy of De Norske Vikingesverd from here, this has some drawing of Norwegian viking age spearheads, which were to scale before the book was scanned.

As for the pattern-welded spear head in the back of Swords of the Viking Age, I would estimate that the blade is 20-25 cm long, but that's just a guess.

An armed society is a polite society.
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
Joined: 11 Jun 2007
Likes: 7 pages

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PostPosted: Sat 07 Feb, 2009 5:04 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manu..._spear.htm
Maybe you'll find something of use here.
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Jean Le-Palud




Location: France
Joined: 11 May 2005
Reading list: 17 books

Posts: 152

PostPosted: Sat 07 Feb, 2009 6:44 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Owen,
I just found this on the site of the swedish Historiska Museum (thanks to the link offered by Ville Vinje Laughing Out Loud )
Comparing the length of swords and spearheads I'd guess that the laters are around 40 cm long or even more.



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Jason Mather




PostPosted: Sat 07 Feb, 2009 8:17 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Is it generally accepted that all viking spears and swords were pattern welded? Viking weaponmaking is pretty outside of my comfort zone but I might like to try forging a spear or two myself.......
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Gavin Kisebach




Location: Lacey, Wa US
Joined: 01 Aug 2004

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PostPosted: Sat 07 Feb, 2009 9:36 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Quote:
Is it generally accepted that all viking spears and swords were pattern welded? Viking weaponmaking is pretty outside of my comfort zone but I might like to try forging a spear or two myself......


By the latter part of the era there was little need for pattern welding, as the steel was better, and correspondingly few swords were pattern welded. It's a lot of unnecessary prom a practical standpoint, only us modern crazy types make it for fun.

There are only two kinds of scholars; those who love ideas and those who hate them. ~ Emile Chartier
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Jason Mather




PostPosted: Sat 07 Feb, 2009 10:39 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

"By the latter part of the era there was little need for pattern welding, as the steel was better, and correspondingly few swords were pattern welded. It's a lot of unnecessary prom a practical standpoint, only us modern crazy types make it for fun."

That make sense. It also makes it much more likely that I will give it a try! All that is left is to find a later era piece to replicate, although it seems there is quite a bit of variance along a common theme with these spearheads.
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